Chapter-10 · EP-155

Episode 155: Quadra Stream

Note: Contains cruel depictions. Please be advised if you are sensitive to such content.

"Hey, what's up! We're Quadra Stream! Today we're finally doing the most requested project from our survey!"

Inside the third floor, there were men with an inappropriately high-energy vibe for a dungeon.

In the center, shouting in a high-pitched voice, was a slender man with frosted hair and piercings in his ears. The cheap tattoo on his neck gave off a try-hard vibe. He wore a leather jacket with a flashy printed logo, jangling accessories like earrings and necklaces, and a long wallet and smartphone sticking out of the pockets of his cargo pants – clothing clearly unsuited to the dungeon atmosphere.

At his feet lay a goblin with its hands and feet bound and a gag in its mouth.

"We're going for numbers today!"

Saying that, the man who inexplicably wore sunglasses inside the dungeon kicked the bound goblin.

Then a well-built man in a tank top emphasizing his arm muscles carried another similarly bound goblin and threw it at their feet.

The goblin that hit the ground let out an inaudible groan.

"I caught the second one…"

"Yeah! Nice, we got sacrificial victim number two!"

There was also a short, skinny man in a hooded sweatshirt, pointing his smartphone at the three.

He was filming them.

Looking at the screen, he muttered.

"Currently, 22 viewers…"

At those words, the frosted-hair man answered loudly.

"Hey, hey, everyone better come soon or we'll start without you! We'll wait a little longer!"

Saying that, he stomped on the goblin's head with his platform sneaker.

They were the video streaming group "Quadra Stream."

Leader: the frosted-hair man, "Benji."

The one wearing sunglasses: "Crow."

The large, muscle-brained man: "Zero."

The hooded man filming: "Hood."

They had reached level 4, but were struggling and stalled against the third-floor boss, the Hobgoblin. To earn money for even stronger equipment, they were streaming day and night.

But with viewer numbers not growing, they hit upon an idea: extreme content.

"How's the viewer count? Not going up?"

"Now 25…"

"Tch. Can't be helped. Alright, let's start by explaining today's project!"

Seemingly unsatisfied with the viewer count, Benji reluctantly began explaining.

"In the comments on our last stream asking for videos you wanted to see, the most requested was for cruel videos, wanting to see the limit of a goblin on the brink of death. Those with weak hearts, stop watching now! And those who want to see it, keep gathering!"

"Now 30."

"Still not going up much. Well, if the video is interesting, it'll grow naturally. Alright, let's start by shaving off an ear! Crow, hold it down."

"Got it!"

The sunglass man pinned the goblin down, and Benji pulled a survival knife from his waist.

The blade glinted, inexplicably plated with garish gold.

He thought it was cool.

He grabbed the goblin's ear with one hand and placed the cool knife at the base of the ear.

Hood zoomed the smartphone camera in on the back of the goblin's head.

The goblin let out muffled, inaudible screams.

And then…

"Okay! This goblin's ear will be given away to a viewer via lottery! Gyahahahaha!"

Hood read the comments on the stream.

"'Nobody wants that lol,' 'Gross lol,' 'Funny,' 'You'll get banned for this.'"

Benji answered the last comment.

"Sorry to disappoint. If it were bright red blood, it might be a problem, but goblin blood is green, so it's fine! Gyahahahaha!"

"51 viewers."

"Oh! Are things picking up? Alright, we're going to test step by step how far we can go before it dies, so don't miss the crucial moment!"

"Superchat 5,000 yen from Kombucha-san, comment: 'Good, do more!'"

"Oh! Thanks, Kombucha-san! As requested, we'll do even more! Gyahahahaha!"

――The feast that would later become legend had begun.